This section provides background information related to present disclosure and may not necessarily be in prior art.
People enjoy relaxing in the comfort of a chair that rocks and glides in a reciprocatory motion. The motion may have a soothing effect and lend to put the occupant of the chair to sleep. However, the chair needs propelling in some manner. The propulsion is usually accomplished by the occupant of the chair pushing on the floor with their legs and feet, while sitting thereon. After a period of time, the occupant of the chair usually stops pushing due to exhaustion and falling asleep. To continue the reciprocatory motion, the occupant of the chair may have to resume with their feet, which prevents the occupant of the chair from sleeping in the chair.
There has been a long recognized need to allow an individual to rock in a reclined position with their legs and feet elevated on the leg rest and ottoman. This position also allows the occupant of the chair to sleep more comfortably in the chair. This more comfortable popular position will not allow the feet of the occupant of the chair to come in contact with the floor surface for propulsion.
Additionally, the prior art of a reclining rocking chairs with a leg rest has two frames. One of the frames is the base of the chair with the feet and the other is the frame of the seat of the chair that rocks on top of the frame of the base with the feet of the chair. This prior art has a pawl and ratchet latching mechanism that latches when the leg rest is extended to hold the position of the frame of the seat of the chair to the frame of the base of the chair to prevent the chair from tilting too far forward, while over balanced. This latching also prevents the chair from any rocking motion and restricts the occupant of the chair from manually and powered rocking the chair. prior art such as US 20140191548 A1 has a pawl and ratchet latching controller to allow the chair to rock but is more costly.
Heretofore, such prior art has suffered from several deficiencies. Specifically, prior art does not address the problem of balancing the rocking chair when the occupant sits on it before the motor drive engages to create the rocking motion. Also the motion cycle should be balanced with the balance of the chair to equal a balanced system. When using a powered rocker system with a rotary and linear motion drive, the chair should be balance in the middle of the motion cycle before beginning the rocking motion. The middle of the motion cycle is the middle between the maximum and minimum length of the stroke for linear motion and the middle of the maximum and minimum height of the motor arm of the rotary cycle. The engaging position for the motor drive will vary depending on the weight of the occupant of the chair and how far backward and forward the occupant of the chair leans when sitting.
Some prior art have a locking system for the motor drive linkage that uses a solenoid, has continual electrical powered to keep the motor drive locked while the motorized rocking mechanism is in use. This continual electrical powered use may cause a heat buildup and some safety problems. Some of these mechanisms of the prior art have been provided, as disclosed in US Patent No. 2011/0248535 A1.
Another deficiency is that prior art is not diverse for different size and width chair in a single embodiment. The prior art is difficult to mount and has to be modified to fit different size chairs and permanently attached to the chair for balance. This attaching make it difficult to transfer the device from one chair to another and mostly will not fit due to a different size chairs and different frame structures. The chair is awkward to work on and lifting the chair is impossible single handed. They are hard to install and most have to be installed using tools and attachment hardware.
Some prior art uses a rotation motion cycle to power a linear motion cycle for the motor drive movement to create the rocking motion of the chair. One of the most comforting motions for the occupant of the chair is a constant, uninterrupted and smooth rocking and reciprocatory motion which this linear motion will not produce. The reciprocatory linear movement travels to and from a single start point on the motion cycle in a straight line. The motion has two reverse motion points in the cycle, with an abrupt transition in change of direction. This causes a jerking and interruption motion in the cycle as the means to rock the chair. Some of these chairs use springs to attempt to absorb and eliminate the shock in the sudden start and stop of the linear motion. But the springs actually create the same jerking and interruptive motion problem they are attempting to resolve, by compressing and expanding in the motion cycle. Some of these mechanisms of the prior art having the springs and linear motion have been provided, as disclosed in US Patent No. 2011/0248535 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,529.
Some prior art uses a striking and release contact means of rocking, which strikes a fixed object and then releases to let gravity finish the motion cycle. This also has an interruptive motion and causes jerking in the motion cycle. Some of these mechanisms of the prior art having a striking contact and release method have been provided, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,285 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,608 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,184. All of these methods have a jerking and interrupting motion for the rocking cycle, which is uncomfortable to the occupant of the chair.
The glider rocker may use a gliding ottoman to rest the legs and feet of the occupant of the chair and also does not allow the feet of the occupant of the chair to come in contact with the floor surface for propulsion. The occupant of the chair can not manually rock the chair in this relaxed position.
The prior art uses a single rocking motion style. This style is determined by the method of the manufacture of the prior art. Prior art does not offer more than one rocking motion style in a single embodiment.
The inventive art resolves the outlined deficiencies in the prior art. Other objects, features, advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.